BD's takes the salad-bar concept one step beyond: Rather than just assembling a plate of greens, you choose from an assortment of raw meats and vegetables, douse them with flavored oils and sauces, sprinkle on an assortment of spices, nuts, and seasonings, and hand the whole shebang over to cooks manning an enormous 600-degree steel grill. Recipe cards are provided for the unimaginative.

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As proof of pho's meteoric rise in popularity, this suburban pho house is winning the hearts and bellies of noodle newcomers. In addition to the house-made beef and chicken-based noodle soups, the menu here features typical starters like spring and summer rolls, papaya salad, crepes, and banh mi sandwiches. The menu also features the usual mix of grilled meat-topped broken rice or noodle dishes.

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Since opening at Beachwood's posh lifestyle center Legacy Village, this Asian bistro has been turning heads as much for its splashy décor as for its food — a collection of Southeast Asian staples like pho, pad Thai and many other noodle, rice, and stir-fry dishes. In the process, Gia Lia gives Eastsiders an elegant space to sip, twirl, and spoon up some approachable Asian grub.

Essentially a carry-out-only affair, Taste of Kerala specializes in South Indian food. Bright, cheery and tidy, the storefront shop offers made-to-order fare like chicken biryani, chicken curry, and goat curry. Like other South Indian eateries, this one devotes a large portion of the menu to vegetarian dishes, including steamed idli with sambal or chickpea curry. Rather than rice, dishes here are served with chapati, wheat flatbread.